The Numbers

I’m really happy how this project is turning out. Taking time to make each hike’s number using materials found on the hike has caused me to concentrate more on looking at my surroundings as I hike. I try to select a material that 1) is abundant and 2) won’t affect the ecology or aesthetics of the area. I love nature, but I don’t want to love it to death. If I’m using living flora, I prune the plant and not pick it outright. Here’s a few stories of the behind-the-scenes of numbers 11-20.
Hike #11 – Shevlin Park, Bend, OR - I found a patch of...

This is the first of ten installments about my artistic journey I like to call, “The Numbers.” (To read the rest of this series, click here.
Along with my big hiking goal, I’ve got a few artistic goals as well. One of them is to create the hike’s number using material found on the hike. I got this idea while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2011. When big milestones are reached, like mile 100, 500, 1000, etc, it is common for a hiker to write the mileage in the trail using rocks, sticks, flowers, etc. One thru hiker I met made a mile marker every 100 miles for...